1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to lottery-type ticket dispensers and the like, and, more specifically, to a dispenser and base which allows for easy assembly while hindering unauthorized disassembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of box-like structures for displaying and dispensing of tickets has been known for some time. Generally, such dispensers have common characteristics such as transparent walls, through which a stack of tickets may be seen, means for preventing unauthorized removal of tickets therefrom and a slot through which the tickets may be dispensed.
It is also known in the art to secure such box-like structures to a counter or base to prevent unauthorized removal of the box-like structure and the tickets contained therein. It is known in the art to provide the bottom of the dispenser itself with adhesive to secure the device to a counter. The drawback of such an adhesive connection is two-fold. First, the security of such a connection is limited by the strength of the adhesive, which is typically of only moderate strength to reduce damage to the counter or base of the dispenser. Second, removal of such a dispenser after it has been adhesively secured is difficult and often results in damage to either the dispenser or the counter.
It is also known in the art to provide connection by way of screws or other hardware. While such hardware minimizes damage to the counter and increases the security of the dispenser, such hardware cannot be molded integrally with the dispenser and typically requires tools for installation and removal of the dispenser. Additionally, the size of typical dispensers hinders the use of standard tools for the installation and removal of such hardware.
The difficulties encountered in the prior art discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.